


Shift Work, Hard Work

by icandrawamoth



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety, Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Co-workers, Gen, Panic Attacks, Self-Indulgent, Supportive Victor Nikiforov, Work, Workplace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-12 15:24:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11164686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: Yuuri is having trouble with his new factory job. Lead Victor steps in to help.





	Shift Work, Hard Work

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy this thinly-veiled catharsis of a bad day I had at work the other day, with a happier ending. :p Title from Kenny Chesney's "Shiftwork."

This is only Yuuri's third day at Medical Manufacturing, Inc., and he's definitely learned one thing: the factory's training program is not good. At the morning meeting each day, the entire shift gathers as their supervisor tells them of any overnight occurrences on the other shift before reading out who's assigned to which press. Because Yuuri is new, he's been with a trainer each time, a different one each day.

That might actually help if they stayed with him. Both previous days, they'd basically given him a quick rundown of what he was doing before disappearing entirely or being reassigned to other places. Those previous days, it hadn't been a problem. He'd been working slow assembly cells or presses with other people around he could ask his questions.

Today is different. This press is _fast_. According to the work order in the instruction book, it's shooting out four of the plastic sleep apnea machine components every thirty-four seconds, and between having to inspect and individually bag each one while at the same time packing the box correctly, filling out labels, and keeping up with putting together more boxes to use when this one's full, Yuuri's more than a little flustered.

His trainer, a man whose name he'd forgotten almost as soon as it was called and been too shy to ask for again, had said something about going to get a drink of water. That had been almost half an hour ago. Now parts are piling up on the table, probably getting scratched and causing scrap he's going to get in trouble for, and as fast as he can take them and look at them and pack them, more and more are coming. He looks around desperately, but there's no sign of his trainer. He can see a few people at other work cells, but all of them are busy with their own jobs, no one available to help him.

Yuuri swallows, tries to bite down on his rising anxiety and do his work. Pick up a part, look at one side, flip, the other, drop into a bag, wrap it closed, put it in the box, recount the current layer and make sure he has the right number, all while hearing a new set of parts drop onto the table.

He knows he shouldn't be panicking. For one thing, it's certainly not going to help. His trembling fingers are making him fumble parts now, which is just making the process take longer. It's not like they're going to fire him, right? He's new, he's not experienced yet. Well...they had told him when he was hired that the place was strict, that they wanted good workers and there are always more people waiting to apply. It isn't exactly skilled work, after all.

Yuuri's chest feels tight, his cheeks hot, but he can't stop. The parts are still coming, and he can't step away to ask for help. He can't yell, either; part of him doesn't want the attention on his failure, and it's not like anyone would hear him over all the machines running on the production floor anyway.

“Hey, hey!”

Yuuri looks up, blinking at the tears that have suddenly make their way to his cheeks. One of the leads has appeared in front of him, the silver-haired one, to snap a handful of parts in danger of sliding to the floor. V-something. Vincent? Victor?

Anyway, he's frowning as he looks from the growing pile of parts to Yuuri's face. His lips part as Yuuri ducks his head, embarrassed at his overreaction to the situation.

“Where's your trainer?” the lead asks.

“I don't know,” Yuuri mumbles, and tries to focus on his hands. Inspect, pack, box. Inspect, pack, box. “He said he was getting a drink, but that was a while ago...”

“Chris!” the lead calls to another man who's passing by (and where was he a few minutes ago?). “Will you take over here for a minute?”

“Sure, Victor.”

Yuuri steps aside, his heart still pounding, as Chris takes his spot and Victor gestures him over. “Come with me, Yuuri.”

 _Is this it?_ Yuuri wonders as he falls into step behind him. Is he going to lose his job after three days because he's new and couldn't keep up at this ridiculous press without help? But instead of turning toward the office, Victor leads him throw the big doors into the warehouse, a place Yuuri hasn't seen yet. It's hot here, not air conditioned like the production floor. They walk between racks of stacked components and packing materials.

“Did anyone tell you there was a water cooler back here?” Victor asks as they come to a stop in front of it.

Yuuri shakes his head mutely.

Victor catches his eye and gives him a little smile. “Well, here it is. There's one on the other end, too. You can always pop back here and get a drink if you're too warm or you just need a minute.” He pulls two cups from the dispenser and hands him one.

“Thank you,” Yuuri whispers. His voice is rough. He's starting to come down from the near panic attack, but he still feels shaky.

“You looked like you were having a pretty rough time out there,” Victor says. “Your trainer should never have left you if you weren't ready.”

“I said he could when he asked,” Yuuri admits softly. “I thought he was only going to be gone for a minute.”

“That's fine,” Victor assures him. “He should have been. Sometimes certain people have problems with their break times.” He sounds frustrated, but Yuuri is relieved to realize it's not with him. “Anyway, when we go back, I'm going to stay and help you until he comes back, all right? And if he's not going to help you like he should, we'll assign someone else to you. How does that sound?”

“That sounds good,” Yuuri tells him. “Thank you.”

“Don't mention it. We want you to be comfortable here. If you ever have problems, you can talk to any of us, all right?”

Yuuri nods. He's not looking forward to going back out there, but at least Victor is being nice to him and seems to understand and sincerely regret his situation.

The lead takes another long sip from his cup before dropping it in the garbage. “Shall we?” Yuuri follows suit and nods again.

“Okay.”

“Okay.” Victor smiles at him. “I think you're going to be okay here, Yuuri, once you've got the hang of it. Until then, I'll take care you.”


End file.
